WARREN Man gets jail in semen assaults

The judge said he couldn't understand the man's actions. By DENISE DICK VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF WARREN -- A Brookfield man who sprayed semen on women at area shopping centers was led from court to the Trumbull County Jail. Judge Terry Ivanchak of Warren Municipal Court sent Robert Leroy Gibson III, 38, of South Albright McKay Road, to jail after he pleaded guilty to misdemeanor criminal mischief. The judge sentenced Gibson to 30 days in the county jail. Another 30 days of a jail sentence was suspended. "I am at a loss to understand the rationale behind your actions," Judge Ivanchak told Gibson, adding that he couldn't understand what gratification Gibson could have derived from it. The judge also ordered Gibson to pay $500 plus costs. Gibson also will serve two years on probation. Took place at stores Howland police said Gibson threw semen on a woman Nov. 21 at the Kmart store on state Route 46 near the Eastwood Mall in Niles. Gibson appeared before the judge Monday and changed his plea from innocent to guilty. "Mr. Gibson is very remorseful for everything that's happened in all these cases," said Atty. J. Walter Dragelevich, who represents Gibson. A victim attended the proceeding but declined to give a statement. Gibson was sentenced last month in Niles Municipal Court to 60 days in jail after pleading to and being convicted of six criminal mischief charges involving throwing or spraying semen onto women at the Eastwood Mall and surrounding stores. Gibson is expected to plead in Girard Municipal Court where he faces another criminal mischief charge, accused of throwing semen onto a woman at Phar-Mor in Liberty. The judge referred to the length of time that's passed since the November crime occurred. "The time for you to be out on the street is over, and the court puts you in jail on this date," Judge Ivanchak said. Blood tests Police identified Gibson from store video but waited to charge him until they received lab results from blood tests to determine if the fluid contained any communicable diseases. The presence of a disease could have elevated the charges to felonies. Tests came back negative last December, and tests completed in February confirmed that the DNA in the semen samples was consistent with that of Gibson. The women ranged in age from 17 to 41, and Gibson was accused of spraying at least one woman twice on the same day in the same area of the mall. State Sen. Timothy Ryan, D-32nd, of Niles, is sponsoring legislation to make it a felony for a person to throw or spray semen on another person. The bill would make the offense punishable by up to a year in prison under the state's sexually oriented harassment law.

Don't Miss a Story

Sign up for our newsletter to receive daily news directly in your inbox.